A young woman discovers her destiny as an heiress of intergalactic
nobility and must fight to protect the inhabitants of Earth from an
ancient and destructive industry.
Directors: Andy Wachowski (as The Wachowskis)
,
Lana Wachowski (as The Wachowskis)
Writers: Andy Wachowski (as The Wachowskis)
,
Lana Wachowski (as The Wachowskis)
Stars: Channing Tatum,
Mila Kunis,
Eddie Redmayne |
See full cast and crew
Storyline
Jupiter Jones was born under a night sky, with signs predicting that she
was destined for great things. Now grown, Jupiter dreams of the stars
but wakes up to the cold reality of a job cleaning other people's houses
and an endless run of bad breaks. Only when Caine Wise, a genetically
engineered ex-military hunter, arrives on Earth to track her down does
Jupiter begin to glimpse the fate that has been waiting for her all
along - her genetic signature marks her as next in line for an
extraordinary inheritance that could alter the balance of the cosmos.
When
I give this film a 6, it's being a bit generous. Trying to put myself
in other people's shoes, I'd say this film probably range anywhere from a
3 to a 5, and then there will be those who hate it. Still, I am likely
to lean on the side of one of the few who likes the film. But it's a
mixed bag. Sure enough, the special effects, action, and other elements
are fantastic. But the film does little to develop it's own character
beyond their archetypes and the script seems content to stay average at
best.
Jupiter Ascending actually paints a pretty fascinating
sci-fi universe. As it turns out, Earth, and thousands of other worlds
like it, are owned by a number of different families which act like
corporations who seed these worlds. Once the worlds become over
populated, their people are harvested to create a youth serum which
keeps those living in the corporate society young for millennia after
millennia. In this case, the Abraxis family is one of the most powerful
and each of three heirs is vying for control of Earth. Standing in their
way, however, is Jupiter Jones, who turns out to be the genetic
reincarnation of the Abraxis' sibling's mother, and claimant to the
throne of the family.
If all of that sounds like a lot to take
in, it is, and easily the best part of the film. The Wachowski's have a
talent for creating fascinating worlds that feel complete. Here, they
have created a massive sci-fi universe the likes of which we haven't
seen in at least a decade, maybe longer. It's very clear that their
ambition extends beyond just this one story. In fact, there are hundreds
of fascinating stories that could be told about this universe. The idea
of a corporate controlled universe is timely, and where we've seen this
story played out before about the giant corporation versus the little
guy, it's never quite been told on this scale.
It's a shame then
that this ambition is wasted on a story that doesn't seem to capitalize
on such a universe. The story is good, but the script is lacking and
the characters never really become all that interesting. They end up
feeling like caricatures meant to introduce us to this world we've
entered. They're histories are explained and they clearly have fleshed
out back stories, but they feel almost lifeless in that they seem to be
here only to be an aspect of this world and not a full character. Even
as a lead character, Channing Tatum as Caine feels like little more than
a body meant to perform choreography and defend Milas Kunis' Jupiter.
At the very least, Jupiter is a sympathetic character who shows shades
of change, but even she often feels like little more than a narrator
meant to ask question for exposition purposes. Eddie Redmayne seems to
have the juiciest part, and though he still seems to be a one
dimensional villain, he shows emotional depth that the other characters
lack.
Most people I suspect will have trouble forgiving the lack
of a truly meaningful script and characters that are too one
dimensional. But the good news is that the film isn't a complete loss.
The action, which the Wachowski's have proved to have a handle on, is
fantastic. This is Star Wars level stuff, with space battles and well
choreographed martial art duels. The cool tech thrown in, like the
gravity boots, add some imaginative spice that once again shows the
Wachowski's propensity for finding ways to justify making a 12 year
old's imagination a reality. It's some truly fun stuff. Likewise, the
world we're introduced to looks fantastic. The special effects make
believable some very interesting and exciting details, such as the
multitude of gadgets and weapons we're witness to. It's clear that the
Wachowski's have set out to create a unique universe, and in my
estimation, they have succeeded. I'm a sucker for this kind of world
crafting, and so they get higher marks from me.
Of course, I can
see why the film was pushed back to the dumping grounds of February.
This was meant to be a summer blockbuster, but up against so many big,
successful films, it would have a hard time competing. I have the
distinct feeling this is going to be a film that gets left behind this
year, especially in favor of bigger films being released throughout
2015. Had the film been more focused on it's characters and less on
exposition of the universe we're witnessing, then I feel it could have
succeeded and become a modern sci-fi classic. But as is, it falls short.
Honestly, I do hope for a sequel to this, if only to see this universe
continue to get development. Perhaps a sequel would fulfill the ambition
the Wachowski's clearly seek to build upon.
